


Conscience

by Weaselwoman



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Gen, Post-Captain America: Civil War (Movie), two guys inna bar
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-05-09
Updated: 2016-05-09
Packaged: 2018-06-07 07:44:28
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 275
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6795298
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Weaselwoman/pseuds/Weaselwoman
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Two guys in a bar. thoughts post <em>CA: Civil War</em></p>
            </blockquote>





	Conscience

Two people in a bar, talking.  Tony was paying; the dark-haired man by his side was listening, occasionally commenting.

“So how do you...I don’t know, how do you…?”

It was several scotches each in the night.

“How does one…decide?” Loki asked.

“Yeah, that,” Tony said. “What’s right, what’s wrong; how do you proceed?”

“It is not intuitive,” Loki said; in disguise or else glamored to be inconspicuous. “In my case, I was born, I was _bred_ , I was trained all my life, to rule. One simply _acts_. But you…”

“Listen, I don’t know if you’ve noticed, but on Earth…”

“Midgard. Where royalty is mostly ceremonial.”

“Yeah, Earthgard. Where real power is concentrated with money and talent. Not with heredity.”

“Yes?”

“Well, I was born— _and_ bred and trained—to make decisions. So I could rule the world.”

“Then what is your problem?”

“When I act…when we privileged ones act… there’s collateral damage. People die.”

“So?”

“So we’re acting to _protect_ them. Not discard them.”

“Ah,” Loki said. “I see the problem. You need a conscience, to tell you that what you have done is acceptable. Even if mortals die.”

“Yeah, we’re all mortals, you know.”

“Not _all_ of us.” Yeah. Loki was Tony’s snarky buddy. But not here, not now. The asshole continued, “You rely on someone else to be your conscience. Ms.Potts.  Your… mother? Not you.”

“Thor said… he said your mother was killed. So who’s _your_ conscience?”

Loki stood. “This discussion is over.” Walked out of the bar.

“S’what I thought,” Tony muttered; and, sinking his head on the bar, relied on his people to get him safely home.  
  


**Author's Note:**

> So it occurred to me:  
> SPOILERS for the above-mentioned movie:  
> That Tony reacts the way he does because he relies on an external (usually female) source to keep him behaving ethically. In the simulation, his mother has to tell him that this is his last chance to tell his father he loves him. So Miriam--> the United Nations are needed to tell him when it is okay to attack or to back down. Tony ain't doing well...


End file.
